The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1887-11-10
MARY JAMES TRAVELS.
PARIS, THE FAlReST CITY OF The
CONTINENT OF EUROPE.
II Is introduced by Rhymes That Are
Neither Poetr, Nor sentiment-Ameri-
can French Not Useful Thers-Agsinst
the Old Masters.

Neither Poefr, Nor sentimenf--tmeri-
the Old Masters.
Special Correspondence
PARIS, France, Oct "a
NO city fair IT,
think as is Paris,
80 thoroughly. madly wildly Francois
Prom Noples TO London.
All other. are undOne
BY Paris, euchan'ingly, wickedly gay"
There, that is neither my poetry nor my
sentiment, and ! give II merely 10 show
the bad effect Of Babylon on the Young.
Dckev wrote II, and select II a. the best out
Of a great lot Of very much worse II that
be possible
During the last three months we have been
in all Of the best cities Of Europe, and in
some we have thought it. hardly possible for
Paris 20 be superior but twcnty-fOur hours
here will convince the most skeptical that in
all those features which 90 toward making a
city attractive, in the general sense of the
term Paris is so far ahead OF all competitors
that YOU can't soc them without q telescope.
But with all her beauty and attractiveness,
Paris is incOnceirably bad. and She has ar
rived st that stage of shomelessness, in which
the subject pays no heed 10 concealment, but
she rather glories in exhibiting it 10 all the
world. Perhaps Paris IS not altogether 10
blame. however, for the thousands Of visitors
from more pious sections Of the fOOtstOol
take a hand with her. and the cosmopolitan
combine is something terrible to contem-
plate ! know staid and sober American hus
bands and wives "Ao 80 to some Of the gar
dons and theatres Of Iaris where respectable
French women are never seen, whore the can
can is q feature, and where vice is spelled
with big v. One 70 whom spoke in some
surprise about this replied to this effect
ooh Of course; | wouldn't think of going
to such place at home, but it's all right in
Paris, and must be- taken in as one of the
orthodox sights Of the city"
But Paris is beautiful. and am reminded
by her beauty and wicSedness Of MeSsalina,
whose marble face in the Vatican is fairer
than that Of any woman living or dead |
have seen on the continent. can scarcely
give the record Of Messalina in public print,
but those who know 10 viii, think, agree
with me in calling Paris the Messalna Of
cities.
WHATS the use Of jumping on Paris in
that Style asks Dickey, and ! am con-
strained 10 repeat the question TO myself and
pause for a reply
Somebody has got to be supremely wicked,
and If Paris wants the distinction let her
have it, Eat. drink and be merry. for To-
morrow We die and after death comes
! lind that my American French is not
worth shucks as a medium for the expression
OF thought i'm France, and IL is even worS, to
grasp what is said 10 me. Ny ear is not .o
well educated as my tongue, and when /
manage 10 get a question asked intelligentlF
/ am completely Knocked out by the answer
A policeman. with real French pOliteness.
tumbied 10 that fact the other div. and
when be couldn't tell me what wanted t0
know he iished out "a pencil and paper and
wrote it for me as If had been deaf II an
swered the purpose tnd ny question, though,
and ! was c0u@pold'u-iy grateful
Mem. Learn 90 read French. which is
really easy, and when Won visit France pre-
tend that YOU are deaf
met "a man the other dav-an American
.omething I've done million times | pre-
sumo, in my long and mcvenrful career. and
he began 10 plume himself on his superior
knowledge, as men do often when there's
woman i'm the case We went ont 20 buy
gloves Giants is The French for gloves.
which ore cheap in Paris. and be took me
by several places, because, as he said. we
could find something letter. Finally we went
into a shop and be began to spread
GIVE noticed In every window, said BE-.
that Giants gloves arc advertised more than
amy other, and ] think YOU had better get
them
who's Cant" said T. innoceDtly.
oh said he, wisely. he is a prominent
glove manufacturer. 7 suppose, as | see his
name in every glove shop in town.
may say IN conclusion that made enough
boy buying Giants gloves to buy French die
tionary and send 10 that man
Except in gloves and certain articles Of
Paris. or 'specialties, Paris Is not A cheap
place 20 make purchases, and my experience
has taught me never to 30 into q shop which
has a window display with the prices not
plainly marked on each article.
Paris has two leading picture galleries. the
Louvre and the LuNembourg the latter de-
voted 10 French masters Of the modern
school, under certain restrictions. The
Louvre has fourteen miles Of art, they say, IN.
Guiding a little Of everything, by everybody,
and among the pictures u is astonishing how
many Of them the amateur connoisseur is
able to forget In every gallery have seen
there has always been at least one picture
that makes a lasting impression, but in the
Louvre that one has been wanting in my
case, and all can remember is long vista
Of red and blue and flesh tints and gilt
frames. Among the brighter, fresher pic
lures of the Luxembourg, | find different re-
suits and though my opinion in art may not
be Of weight, l am willing 20 wager a cham
payne cork that Of the 100 or 1900 of Ameri-
cans who have seen each gallery the great
majority viii vote with me-. as against the
old master variety of art; It's heresy, no
doubt, but | think art needs a Martin Luz
Their, and am paving - way for him as far
as is in my power
took Dickey down ninety feet under the
city ina the catacombs the other day, where
100000 skeletons OF delunct Parisians are
ranked up like cord wood, with the skulls
and crossbones put in fantastically for orna-